IO Genix Casein Cream 900g - Micellar Casein with Crunchy Toppings

What is IO Genix Casein Cream?

IO Genix Casein Cream is a micellar casein powder to which the manufacturer has added crunchy pieces distributed through the tub. A 30 g scoop provides 22 g of protein for 115 kcal. The 900 g tub contains exactly 30 scoops, and the flavours on offer include Nutchoc and Salted Peanut.

Casein makes up roughly 80% of milk protein. Its distinctive feature is physical before it is nutritional: on contact with the acidity of the stomach, it forms a gel that dissolves slowly. The amino acids are therefore released gradually, over several hours, whereas a whey is absorbed in under an hour. That is why it is traditionally placed in the evening rather than around the session.

This product differs from classic casein on one simple point: it is designed to be eaten with a spoon as much as drunk from a shaker. With little liquid it gives a thick cream; the crunchy pieces stay crunchy. The rest of the Spanish range is in our IO Genix section, and the other products in the category in our caseins section.

What does a scoop of Casein Cream contain?

The per 100 g column is calculated from the per-scoop values published by the manufacturer. Two lines are missing from the manufacturer's data and we will not invent them: the saturates content and the sugars content are not disclosed. The label on the tub you receive is the definitive reference, all the more so as the composition of the pieces varies from one flavour to another.

22 g of protein for 115 kcal is an excellent ratio for a product eaten like a dessert. For context: a shop-bought fruit yoghurt runs at around 4 g of protein per 100 kcal. Here you are more than five times better off, which changes everything if you are trying to hold a high protein total without blowing up your calories.

The two micronutrients are worth pausing on, because they are genuinely dosed and not merely sprinkled in. With 240 mg of calcium, one scoop covers 30% of the nutrient reference value: calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones and contributes to normal muscle function. Nothing surprising for a dairy product, but it is a real bonus. Vitamin B6, at 0.42 mg, likewise covers 30% of the reference value and contributes to normal protein and glycogen metabolism — the addition is consistent with a protein product.

On the protein itself, the only wording authorised in Europe is this one: protein contributes to a growth in and the maintenance of muscle mass. It is true, it is enough, and it calls for no flights of rhetoric. The earlier version of this page spoke of a night-time anabolic window, anti-catabolic action, prolonged satiety and an enzyme complex presented as a digestive advantage: none of those statements is authorised or verifiable, and all have been removed.

Ingredients list

Micellar casein (MILK), Lactomin whey protein concentrate (MILK), crunchy pieces varying by flavour, natural flavourings, DigeZyme enzyme complex (amylase, protease, lactase, lipase, cellulase), sweetener (stevia extract), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), emulsifier (sunflower lecithin).

Contains MILK. May contain traces of GLUTEN, EGGS, SOYA, NUTS and PEANUTS. The composition of the crunchy pieces changes according to the flavour: check the label on the tub you receive if you have an allergy.

How do you take Casein Cream?

Dose: 30 g, or one scoop. Liquid: 200 to 250 ml for a shaker, 100 ml for a cream texture. Timing: 45 minutes before bed, as a snack, or after training. Frequency: one scoop a day, do not exceed. Duration: the manufacturer recommends daily use for at least six weeks.

Preparing it as a cream is the real point of the product, and that is how it should be judged. With 100 ml of liquid and fifteen minutes in the fridge, the powder sets and gives a thick dessert to be eaten with a spoon. With 250 ml you get a classic shake, decent but nothing remarkable — you may as well take a standard casein, which is cheaper. Buy this product for the cream, not for the shake.

The liquid is chosen according to your goal. With water, you stay at 115 kcal. With skimmed milk, reckon on another hundred calories or so and a higher protein intake. With a plant-based drink, the texture is thinner and the result often less firm.

A shaker is enough, but a blender gives a more uniform texture for the cream version. The crunchy pieces do not dissolve; that is normal and that is the point. Close the tub properly: moisture softens them, and a badly closed tub ends up with soggy pieces.

One scoop in the evening does not replace a meal. It completes a day whose protein total matters more than the timing of each intake — that is the best-supported view today, and it is better said than keeping alive the idea of a magic window. If what you need is a fast intake after the session, whey isolate is what to turn to.

Who is Casein Cream for, and who is it not for?

It suits the person who cracks in the evening in front of a dessert and is looking for an alternative that does not ruin their day. It also suits anyone who struggles to reach their protein total, people in a calorie deficit who want a filling and indulgent product, and those who are tired of shakes.

It is not for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk proteins, since casein and whey are both derived from milk. Nor is it for vegans. The manufacturer does not recommend it for children under 12, asks pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as people on medical treatment to seek professional advice, and sets the daily dose at 30 g.

Nor is it for you if you are looking for a fast-absorbing protein around the session: that is not what a casein does, and the slowness that is its strength in the evening becomes a drawback at that moment.

What not to expect from it: casein does not make you lose weight, burns nothing during the night and does not replace a complete meal. Nor is it a digestive product: the presence of enzymes in the formula is not a claimable digestive benefit, and if that is your need, our digestive enzymes section deals with the subject in its own right.

Evening casein or whey, which should you choose?

Both come from milk, they do not behave in the same way, and the choice is simpler than people think.

Whey is absorbed quickly, in under an hour. It is the better choice around training, at breakfast, or whenever the point is to deliver amino acids fast. It is also thinner, and therefore easier to drink in large quantities.

Casein forms a gel in the stomach and digests slowly. It is the better choice in the evening, as a snack that has to last, or when you want something substantial rather than a drink. With this particular product there is an added argument that whey will never have: the dessert texture and the crunchy pieces, which change the experience entirely.

If your goal is bulking, neither is enough on its own: it is the calorie total that decides, and our bulking section answers that question better. And if you are simply after a protein snack to take with you rather than a powder to prepare, have a look at our protein snacks.

Frequently asked questions

Do the crunchy pieces stay crunchy?

Yes, in the preparation, since they do not dissolve. They do soften, however, if the tub takes in moisture: close it carefully and keep it dry. That is the only storage precaution that really matters with this product.

How many scoops are there in the 900 g tub?

Exactly 30 scoops of 30 g. At one scoop a day, the tub covers a full month, which corresponds to half of the six-week period of use the manufacturer recommends.

Can it be made into a pudding?

That is in fact its best use: 30 g of powder in 100 ml of liquid, fifteen minutes in the fridge, and you get a thick cream to be eaten with a spoon. With 250 ml you fall back on an ordinary shake and the point of the product is largely lost.

Is it suitable for people who are lactose intolerant?

No. Micellar casein and whey concentrate are both derived from milk and contain lactose. If that is your problem, a whey isolate, whose lactose content is far lower, is a much more suitable choice.

Which flavours are available?

The flavours listed by the manufacturer, including Nutchoc and Salted Peanut. The complete, up-to-date list is that of the variants offered on this page: that is the definitive one, as the manufacturer's documentation is not always in step with deliveries.

Does it really have to be taken before sleeping?

That is the most logical moment, 45 minutes before bed, because its slow digestion lends itself to it. But your day's protein total matters more than the hour of each intake. If the evening does not suit you, an afternoon snack works very well.

Can it be cooked with?

It stands up poorly to cooking, as all caseins do: it thickens too much and the crunchy pieces lose their point. Keep it for cold preparations. For protein baking, a plain whey or a purpose-made powder behaves far better.

Where can you buy IO Genix Casein Cream?

The 900 g tub can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we recommend to those who tell us they hold their diet together all day and let go of it all at ten in the evening: a 115 kcal cream settles the problem better than a resolution. The rest of the section can be browsed in our sports nutrition range.